Until Shiloh Comes (Bereshith 49:10-12)

ByLe
viba
rIdo
/B’
naiAv
raham

|10| The shevet (scepter) shall not depart from Yehudah, nor a Mekhokek (Lawgiver) from between his raglayim, until
Shiloh come; and unto him shall be the obedience of the amim (peoples, nations). |11| He ties his foal unto the gefen
(vine), and his donkey's colt unto the choice vine; he will wash his levush (garments) in yayin, and his robe in the
dahm anavim (blood of grapes); |12| His eyes shall be darker with yayin, and his shinayim (teeth) whiter than cholov
(milk). Bereshith 49:10-12 OJB

The ruler shall never depart from the House of Judah, nor the scribe [ort eache r
]f rom hisc hil
dre n’sc hildrenfor
evermore-until the Messiah comes, whose is the Kingdom, and him shall the nations obey. He shall lead Israel about
his city; the people will build his Temple. The righteous shall be round about him, and they that carry out the Torah
(shall be engaged) in the study with him. Let his raiment be of fine purple and his garment all woolen, crimson, and
multi-colored. His mountains shall be red with his vineyards; his vats shall overflow with wine; his valleys shall be
white with grain and with flocks of sheep. Bereshith 49:10-12 Targum Onkelos

The ancient sages of Judaism have interpreted these verses in Bereshith as a Messianic prophecy. The Talmud and the
Midrashim make it very clear that the rabbis knew that Shiloh is the Moshiach.

 “Ra bsaid: The wo rldwa sc reatedon l

yonDa v id’saccount. Samuel said: On Moses account; R. Johanan said:
For the sake of the Messiah. What is his name? The school of R. Shila said: His name is Shiloh, for it is
written, until Shilohc ome s.”Talmud Sanhedrin 98b
 UNTIL SHILOH COME.5 This indicates that all the nations of the world will bring a gift to Messiah the son
of David, as it says, In that time shall a present be brought (yubal shay) unto the Lord of hosts (Isa. XVIII, 7).
Tr ansp ose’ y ubals hay’a nde xpo undi t,andy ouf indt ha ti tre
a dsSh il
oh.1AND UNTO HI M SHALLTHE
OBEDIENCE OF THE PEOPLES BE (YIKHAS). This alludes to Jerusalem, which will set the teeth of the
peoples of the world on edge (le-hakhoth), 2 as it says, and it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make
Jerusalem a stone of burden for all the peoples (Zech. XII, 3). Gen. Rabbah xcvii
 UNTIL SHILOH COMETH: he to whom kingship belongs (shelo).5AND UNTO HIM SHALL THE
OBEDIENCE (YIKHAS) OF THE PEOPLES BE. This alludes to him who will set on edge (makheh) the
teeth of all the nations, as it says: The nations shall see and be put to shame for all their might; they shall lay
their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf (Micah VII, 16). Another interpretation of, AND UNTO
HIM SHALL THE OBEDIENCE (YIKHAS) OF THE PEOPLES BE-him to whom the nations of the world
will flock (mithkahalin), as it says, The root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall
the nations seek (Isa. XI, 10) Gen.Rabbah xcix:8
 And prostrated himself at his feet.1 UNTIL SHILOH COMETH2: this alludes to the royal Messiah. AND
UNTO HIM SHALL THE OBEDIENCE (YIKHATH) OF THE PEOPLE BE: he [the Messiah] will come and
set on edge (makheh) the teeth of the nations of the world. Gen. Rabbah xcviii:8
 Thes c hoolofR.Shi las aid:TheMe ssiah'sna mei s‘ Shilo h’,asiti ss t
a t
ed,Unt i
lSh ilohcome( Ge n.XLI X,
10), where the word is spelt Shlh.6 The School of R. Hanina.Lamentations Rabbah 1:51
 The Targum Yerushalmi states: "Kings shall not cease from the house of Judah...until the time of the coming
of the King Messiah...to whom all the dominions of the earth shall become subservient"
 The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan states: "King and rulers shall not cease from the house of Judah...until King
Me ssiahc ome s.
”
TheMessi
a nicf ocusi supo nthes ectiono fv erseten“ u nti
lShiloh c ome s.
”
 H7886 BDB Definition ‫ה‬
‫ל‬‫י‬‫שׁ‬shî
ylô
h: 1) he whose it is, that which belongs to him, tranquility.
‫׃‬
‫ים‬
‫תעמ‬
‫ויקה‬
‫ל‬‫ו‬‫לה‬
‫י‬‫באשׁ‬
‫י‬‫־‬‫י‬
‫דכ‬‫וע‬
‫י‬‫ל‬‫ג‬
‫ןר‬‫י‬
‫ב‬‫חקקמ‬
‫ומ‬‫דה‬
‫ו‬‫יה‬
‫בטמ‬
‫רשׁ‬‫ו‬
‫יס‬‫־‬
‫לא‬Gen 49:10

1
The Masoretic Text contains a kere/ketiv, the kere 1(editing by a scribe)giving hlys as vlys. Thus many
translations mistake the proper name Shiloh for the clause “ untilhec omest owho mi tbelo ngs
”or“ sot ha ttribut
es ha l
l
come to him.”But, Shiloh is a proper noun and has been understood by the sages as such.
 6 And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about
eas t
wa r
dtoTa ’a nath-Shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Yanohah; Yehoshua 16:6
 And the whole congregation of the children of Yisrael assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the Tabernacle
of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them. 9 And the men went and passed through the
land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a scroll, and came back to Yehoshua to the camp at
Shiloh.Yehoshua 18:1,9
 3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to YHWH tzevaoth in Shiloh. And
the two sons of Eli, Hofni and Pinchus, the kohanim of YHWH, were there. 9 So Channah rose up after they
had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the kohen sat upon a seat by a post of the Tent of
YHWH Shemuel Alef 1:3, 9
 Such crises forced the tribes into cooperative action against enemies under the leadership of the "deliverer."
Shiloh served as a sacral center for all the tribes, housing the ark of the covenant under the priestly family of
Eli (I Sam. 1:3, 12; 2:27). Encyclopedia Judaica

Jewish Sages

Rashi in his commentary2 on Bereshith states:

 Until Shilo: [i.e.] the Anointed King (Moshiach)-comes- who will have [complete] sovereignty.3

Ac
cor
dingt
othe“
TheTo
rah:AMod
ernComme
nta
ry”s
tat
esi
nthef
ootno
tesc
onc
ern
ingt
hisv
ers
e:

 “
TheHe
bre
wisobs
cur
e;t
hea
bov
etr
ans
lat
ion(
Sot
hatt
ri
but
esh
allc
omet
ohi
m)r
ead
sthet
exta
sifi
twe
revl
ys meaning tribute and hl an alternate form for vl me a ningt ohim…OneJ ewis ht r
adit
ion,takingJac
ob’s
blessing to be a prophecy for the end time interpreted Shiloh to mean the Messiah, a new David who would
comeoutoft hehous eofJ uda h…I fwea bidebyt heMa so re
tict e
xtitma ybebe stt ointer
prete
:‘ Unti
lJudah
will come to wors hipa tShi loh,’t hati s‘UNTIL THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN KINGDOMS
WILL BE REUNITED. ”

Even Rav Berg comments in his notes:

 “Throug ht heb le ssi

ngofYe hudah,wec anc onn ectwi ththec omi
ngoft
heMe
ssi
ani
cer
aandg
ainag
limps
eof
k
what that era will be lie.
”Genesis-Kabbalistic Bible pg.341

Other Sources

The Companion Bible adds the word "he" so that verse ten reads "Until, he, Shiloh comes." "Shiloh is an epithet of the
Moshiach." Who is this Shiloh that is to appear, one whom the people will obey? The New Scofield Reference Bible's
note for verse ten states:

 "Several suggestions have been offered to explain the word 'Shiloh.' The oldest translations render it 'whose it
is' or 'to whom it belongs' with reference to the Messiah's reign and the prophecy of Ezek 21:27."

1
The establishment of the correct text belongs the system of keri and ketiv (words written in one way but read in another), tikkunei
soferim, dates on certain letters, and special sign.

2
Chumash Rashi-Feldheim
3
I.E. The name Shiloh hlys is a contraction of the words: vls h k v l m hws (Be
’erBa
sade
h).
The
nteh preceded by l is
h
in place of the v , as we find : h l h a (35:25), which is the same as v l h a his tent (Mizrachi).
2
Then Scofield says that the prophecy does not refer to the city of Shiloh, nor was it already fulfilled in King David of
ancient Yisrael. Then Scofield states of verse ten that:

 "The reference is to Messiah. Rule in Judah will not depart until He comes, when that sovereignty will be
heightened to include the world."

Alfred Edersheim (a Messianic Jew) has recorded:

 Gen. Xlix. 10. This well-known prediction (on which see the full and interesting discussion in Raym. Martini,
Pugio Fidei) is in Yalkut, u. s., applied to the Messiah, with a quotation of Ps. ii. 9. This expression 'Shiloh' is
also applied to the Messiah, with the curious addition, that in the latter days all nations would bring gifts to
Him. Alike the Targum Onkelos, Pseudo-Jonathan, and the Jerusalem Targum, as well as Sanh. 98 b, the
Midrash on the passage, and that on Prov. xix. 21, and on Lam. i. 16, where it is rendered shelo, 'whose it is,'
refer the expression 'Shiloh,' and, indeed, the whole passage, to the Messiah; the Midrash Ber. R. (99, ed.
Warsh. p. 178 b) with special reference to Is. xi. 10, while the promise with reference to the ass's colt is
brought into connection with Zech. ix. 9, the fulfillment of this prophecy being expected along with that in
Ezek. xxxvi. 25 ('I will sprinkle clean water'). Another remarkable statement occurs in the Midrash on the
passage (Ber. R. 98, ed. Warsh. p. 174 b), which applies the verse to the coming of Him of Whom it is written,
Zech. ix. 9. Then He would wash his garment in wine (Gen. xlix. 11), which is explained as meaning the
teaching of the Law to Israel, and His clothes in the blood of grapes, which is explained as meaning that He
would bring them back from their errors. One of the Rabbis, however, remarks that Israel would not require to
be taught by the King Messiah in the latter days, since it was written (Is. xi. 10), 'to it shall the Gentiles seek.'
If so, then why should the Messiah. Come, and what will He do to the congregation of Israel? He will redeem
Israel, and give them thirty commandments, according to Zech. xi. 12. The Targum Pseudo-Jon. And the Jer.
Targum also apply verse 11 to the Messiah. Indeed, so general was this interpretation, that, according popular
opinion, to see a palm-tree in one's dreams was to see the days of the Messiah (Berach. 57 a). Alfred
Ede rshe i
m “Li feandTi me sofY’ shuat heMe s
siah.”appe nd ix9

History

With the ascension of Caponius, the Sanhedrin lost their ability to adjudicate capital cases. This was the normal policy
toward all the nations under the yoke of the Romans. The province of Judea had, however, been spared from this
policy up to this point. However, Caesar Agustus had had enough of the Jews and finally removed the judicial
authority from them at the ascension of Caponius. This transfer of power was recorded by Josephus.

 "And now Archelaus' part of Judea was reduced into a province, and Caponius, one of the equestrian order of
the Romans, was sent as a procurator, having the power of life and death put into his hands by Caesar!"

The power of the Sanhedrin to adjudicate capital cases was immediately removed. In the minds of the Jewish
leadership, this event signified the removal of the scepter or national identity of the tribe of Judah!

 "The [National identity of Judah, which includes the right to enforce Torah, including the right to administer
capital punishment upon the people, as called for in the Torah] shall not depart from [the southern kingdom
(Judah) ], nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [the Messiah] comes; and to him shall be the
obedience of the people."

In Antiquities 20:9 Josephus again points out that the Sanhedrin had no authority over capital cases:

 "After the death of the procurator Festus, when Albinus was about to succeed him, the high priest Ananias
considered it a favorable opportunity to assembly the Sanhedrin. He therefore caused James the Brother of
Jesus, who was called Christ, and several others, to appear before this hastily assembled council, and
pronounced upon them the sentence of death by stoning. All the wise men and strict observers of the law who
were at Jerusalem expressed their disapprobation of this act...Some even went to Albinus himself , who had
3
 departed to Alexandria, to bring this breach of the law under his observation, and to inform him that Ananius
had acted illegally in assembling the Sanhedrin without the Roman authority."

Shiloh c ome sfrom theHe brewr oo t“ tor est

”hls. It is clear from the original Hebrew text that Shiloh is the coming
Judge/Ruler and the peoples will be under His rulership.Shiloh then –comes from the tribe of Yehudah, will be a ruler
King for Yisrael, and He will gather the peoples ( , y m i –ape opl
eot h erthanYi srael
).I na lloft hewo rld’sh is
tory,
there has never been a King or Ruler from Yehudah to whom all the peoples of the world must give obedience. Only
Melek HaMoshiach is that King. Bereshith 49: 10-12 speaks of final battle and victory by a Melek from Yehudah who
will rule the world and anyone else is a false Moshiach.

Gematria
Ac
cor
dingt
oth
eBa
’alHa
tur
im4,t
hisphr
ase“
Shi
lohwi
lla
rri
ve- h l y s w a b y”
(358)ha
sthes
amegematria5 as the
wor
d“Moshiach”
-xysm . Also, the Hebrew word yavo (13) has the same gematria as the word ECHAD! So, if we add
Moshe and Echad 6 d x a we have the same gematria as Moshiach (358).

 In the numerical sense, we also find the connection between Moshiach and Moses, as is written, "Until Shiloh
comes" - yavo Shiloh, and Moshiach is also called Shiloh. The Hebrew words yavo Shiloh are the numerical
value of Moshiach; and Shiloh is the numerical value of Moshe. This teaches us that the merit and power for
bringing Moshiach is dependent upon the ideal role of Moses - through a wholesome dedication to Torah study
and mitzvos. Chabad-kingmessiah.com

The Chabad acknowledge a connection between Moshe and the Moshiach. This connection ties the Moshiach to the
prophetic utterance given in around 1451 BCE :

 15 YHWH your Elohim will raise up to you a Navi7 from the midst of you, from your brothers, like me; to
Him you shall listen; Devarim 18:15

Rabbi Levi ben Gershon (RALBAG) from the 14th century CE, identified this prophet as the Moshiach:

 “A Pr ophe tfr
om t hemi ds toft hee.I
nf act,t heMe s
sia hiss u chaPr ophe tasi ts tatedi nt heMi drash8
of the
verse,‘ Beh ol
dmySe rv ants hallp r
osper’( Ye s
ha yahu52: 13 )…Mos e
s,byt hemi rac leswh ichh ewr oug ht
,
brought a single nation to the worship of Elohim, but the Messiah will draw ALL peoples to the worship of
Elohi m.”
 Th isisalsohin teda tinth ev erse“thesce pt
re shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his
feet”,“thes ceptre”r ef
erringt ot heMe ssiaho fthehou seofJ u dah,and“ thes taf
f”t ot h eMe ss i
ahoft heh ous e
ofJ oseph.“ UntilSh il
ohc ome th”:thi
sisMos e s
,th enume rica lvalueofthe two names Shiloh and Moses being
the same. Zohar Bereshith 1:25b

Other sections of the Torah with the gematria of 358 include: Bereshith 46:28- Goshen h n s g ;Shemot 25:6, 29:7-
the annointing h x s m h ; and Vayyiqra 16:32- shall be annointed x s m y .

4
Ba ’
alHa t
u rim,Ch uma sh,Be reshit
h,pg.461,Ar tscrollPu bli
shing
5
Gematria is the art of adding the numerical values of the Hebrew letters to connect one word or phrase together on the deeper
Torah interpretation level.
6
Midrash Rabah, Shemot says that Moshe is the first redeemer and the last redeemer. But, Moshe cannot be Shiloh because he is
from the Tribe of Levi not Yehudah.
7
See Yochanan 1:25-Later, speaking in the Temple Shimon bar Yonah quoted Devarim 18:15 to prove that Elohim had raised up
that Prophet, the Messiah, from their midst ( Acts 3:22-26)
8
Referring to Midrash Tanhuma (Ktav Publishing 1989) pp-166-167
4
Shi
loht heni sa nother“c odewor
d”f
oun
dint
heSc
ript
ure
sfort
heMoshiach.Once again, all the Torah speaks of
Yahshua as the true Moshiach.